Free Condoms For Sixth Graders Plan Postponed In Oregon
Plans to hand out free condoms to sixth graders at the Gervais School District in Gervais, Oregon have been postponed. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the school board recently approved initiating a program to have “trained teachers” give condoms to children after speaking with them first, presumably about safe sex.
The implementation of the free condoms for sixth graders through high school seniors has been postponed. Gervais School District Superintendent Matt Henry shared some “concerns” over the program with the Statesman Journal. Henry stated that using teachers and not trained health professional to distribute condoms would make the Gervais School District the only known learning facility to place such a responsibility on educators.
Although Superintendent Henry may consider the type of staff giving out the free condoms to sixth graders a primary concern, many have opposed the plan as an infringement upon parental rights. The school board agreed with Henry’s decision to delay the condom distribution program, and the request to bring in an “expert” to offer advice to school officials on how to deal with the massive teen pregnancy problem plaguing the district. The Gervais, Oregon school board did state that “something must be done” to stop the rash of teen pregnancies.
During a June school board meeting, a group of parents stated that they felt it was inappropriate for the school to hand out condoms to students, some urged for abstinence education. Fortino Olea, who has three children in the Gervais School District, told the local media that he was not opposed to the policy, but wanted to be notified when his children received condoms. “Don’t go just handing them out. I’d like to know if my son is sexually active,” Olea said.
The free condoms for sixth graders plan was developed after Oregon Health and Science University nursing interns offered a study which determined that seven percent of girls in the Gervais School District had become pregnant and were not using any type of birth control while having sex.
Gervais High School Principal Mike Solem said that students have already been “beating down” the doors of teachers to ask for the free condoms. During the last school year, nine Gervais School District students became pregnant. The condom distribution plan was the solutions the district came up with to thwart more teen pregnancies, according to USA Today.
What do you think about the free condoms for sixth graders plan and the number of teen pregnancies in the United States?
[Image Via NY Daily News and news.yahoo.com]
